Arizona things to see and do

Enjoy outdoor pursuits that include golf, hiking, rock climbing, tennis and mountain biking in the Lake Havasu area, or take desert jeep tours in the nearby Sonoran and Mojave Deserts or up into the Chemehuevi Mountains.

A golf club may not be a typical sightseeing location for holidaymakers, but when that golf club is home to more PGA events and world tours than you could shake a five iron at, and regularly features in the USA’s top ten golfing locations, then visitors to Phoenix might just think again. The Grayhawk Golf Club is a favourite location of world class golfers who are spoilt for choice between the Talon and Raptor courses, and aside from the stunning views of the McDowall Mountains, visitors are treated to the culinary delights of the Quill Creek Cafe and the relaxing ambience of Phil’s Grill.

See the smaller Hopi Reservation, accommodating 7,000 Hopis. They have lived in the region for 1,500 years and are known for being talented farmers. The Hopis live in snug pueblo-style villages on top of three mesas. This area is treasured for its outstanding natural beauty.

Visit Lake Havasu City (www.golakehavasu.com), nestled amidst rugged desert peaks on the Colorado River. In 1971 London Bridge was dismantled stone by stone, brought over from England and reassembled in Arizona. It is now the focal point for an array of English-style shops, pubs and lodgings.

Explore beautiful Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona's Red Rock country (www.visitsedona.com). The canyon has natural swimming holes and lush forests beneath high sandstone cliffs. Prehistoric Native American ruins are nearby. Jeep tours, hiking and mountain biking are also available.

Tee off on one of the more challenging golf courses in Mesa, Phoenix or Tucson. The Phoenix-Scottsdale area, known as the Valley of the Sun, has a particular abundance of world-class golf courses and resorts, surrounded by desert and striking mountain scenery (www.golfarizona.com).

Drive down empty roads and see huge cacti, spring wildflowers and the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (www.nps.gov/orpi) in the Sonoran Desert. Journey through the vast Navajo Reservation, home to 250,000 Navajos. Purchase native artwork and silver jewellery and visit settlements where they lived in hogans (dome-shaped houses of log and adobe). Navajo guides lead horse rides in the Canyon de Chelly National Monument (www.nps.gov/cach) and jeep tours through Monument Valley (www.desertusa.com/monvalley), where many a Western was shot.

See the Tonto National Monument (www.nps.gov/tont). The monument features well-preserved cliff dwellings occupied 500 years ago by the Salado Indians and examples of their weavings, jewellery, weapons and tools.

Watch re-enactments of famous gunfights in the Wild West mining town of Tombstone, site of the brief showdown at the OK Corral, and movies such as Wyatt Earp and Tombstone (www.tombstone.org). Explore restored sites and attractions like the Boot Hill Cemetery, the Crystal Palace Saloon (www.crystalpalacesaloon.com), and the Bird Cage Theatre.